Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L7/10—Cereal-derived products
  • A23L7/161—Puffed cereals, e.g. popcorn or puffed rice
  • A23L7/165—Preparation of puffed cereals involving preparation of meal or dough as an intermediate step
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L29/00—Foods or foodstuffs containing additives; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L29/20—Foods or foodstuffs containing additives; Preparation or treatment thereof containing gelling or thickening agents
  • A23L29/206—Foods or foodstuffs containing additives; Preparation or treatment thereof containing gelling or thickening agents of vegetable origin
  • A23L29/244—Foods or foodstuffs containing additives; Preparation or treatment thereof containing gelling or thickening agents of vegetable origin from corms, tubers or roots, e.g. glucomannan
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L7/10—Cereal-derived products
  • A23L7/117—Flakes or other shapes of ready-to-eat type; Semi-finished or partly-finished products therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L7/10—Cereal-derived products
  • A23L7/117—Flakes or other shapes of ready-to-eat type; Semi-finished or partly-finished products therefor
  • A23L7/122—Coated, filled, multilayered or hollow ready-to-eat cereals
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L7/10—Cereal-derived products
  • A23L7/117—Flakes or other shapes of ready-to-eat type; Semi-finished or partly-finished products therefor
  • A23L7/13—Snacks or the like obtained by oil frying of a formed cereal dough
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L7/10—Cereal-derived products
  • A23L7/117—Flakes or other shapes of ready-to-eat type; Semi-finished or partly-finished products therefor
  • A23L7/135—Individual or non-extruded flakes, granules or shapes having similar size, e.g. breakfast cereals

Definitions

• the present invention relates to food products and to their methods of preparation. More particularly, the present invention relates to high fiber, grain based cereal products and to their methods of preparation. BACKGROUND
• R-T-E cereals are popular packaged goods food items.
• R-T-E cereals exist in large numbers of varieties.
• R-T-E cereals, especially whole grain, are known as good sources of fiber.
• a good description of the literature pertaining to the health discussion on the role of fiber is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,045 (issued Oct. 11, 1988 to Vanderveer et al . and is entitled High Bran Snack) which is incorporated herein by reference.
• high fiber cereals are increasingly popular. These cereals contain added levels of fiber sources, especially corn and wheat bran, and range generally from about 2-5g fiber/oz cereal. Generally, the fiber is predominantly of the insoluble type. Some cereals are formulated from all bran sources and can contain up to 8-10g/oz fiber. High fiber cereals using purified insoluble fiber sources and artificial sweeteners can even contain as high as 8-13g fiber/oz of cereal. While popular, high fiber cereals are not without disadvantages. The primary concern is with the organoleptic qualities of the R-T-E cereal. Generally, as the concentration of fiber increases, the starchy components decrease, adversely affecting the cereal's organoleptic and physical properties. Cereals high in insoluble fiber are often dry, exhibit short bowl lives and yield highly frangible food pieces .
• U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,557 discloses a snack food product prepared by premixing a dietary fiber with a food grade oil; premixing a compound coating containing a fractionated fat, sweetener, milk solids, yogurt, and a flavoring agent; blending the two pre-mixtures and adding a cereal product and a dried fruit or nut for flavor; and extruding the resulting mixture into a desired shape.
• European patent application No. 0068229 discloses the addition of the seed coats (episperm) of cocoa beans in finely powdered form, to dough, bread, snacks, and chocolate to increase bulk and stimulate the intestinal tract.
• U.S. Patent No. 4,348,379 discloses a dietetic composition for natural digestion regulation containing whole fleawort seeds (Semen psyllii totum) whole linseed, wheat bran, lactose, a binding agent based on natural rubber, flavor and food color additives.
• the preferred binding agent is gum arabic.
• R-T-E cereal While it is difficult to provide even a single type of fiber fortified R-T-E cereal, such as a whole wheat flake that exhibits acceptable texture and flavor to consumers, it is even more difficult to provide a wide variety of R-T-E cereals fortified with high levels of soluble fiber.
• the present invention is directed towards the provision of an improved high fiber R-T-E cereal with superior organoleptic attributes or qualities. Surprisingly, the present invention provides such a superior quality high fiber R-T-E cereal which nonetheless contains a high concentration of soluble fiber.
• the present invention resides in part in the particular selection of inulin as the soluble fiber source .
• Inulin is a well known material long used as a food supplement. Inulin is a carbohydrate material derived from a variety of crops importantly from Jerusalem artichoke and chicory. However, inulin is known for use as a prebiotic, that is, a food material that is metabolized in the intestine by desirable bacteria such as bifidus and lactobaccilus . The promotion of desirable intestinal flora is thought to be related to a variety of health benefits.
• high soluble fiber R-T-E cereal products can be provided that are almost indistinguishable in taste and texture from their counterparts that are not fortified with fiber when that fiber is supplied by inulin.
• Such high fiber high quality R-T-E cereals can be provided from cooked cereal doughs that are fortified with soluble fiber provided by inulin within certain concentrations.
• the present invention provides methods for preparing such novel R-T-E cereal products.
• the present invention provides cooked cereal compositions fortified with inulin and dried cereal finished food products fabricated therefrom as well as methods for preparing such fortified cooked cereal compositions and dried cereal finished food products.
• the dried cereal finished products are fabricated from cooked cereal doughs comprising conventional cereal ingredients and about 3 to 10% (i.e., up to about 3g/oz) of added or supplemental inulin. Notwithstanding concentrations of the inulin soluble fiber and the absence of added fat, the finished fortified cereal products are not only organoleptically desirable but almost indistinguishable from their unfortified counterparts.
• the present invention resides in methods for preparing the present inulin containing compositions and finished R-T-E products prepared therefrom.
• the methods essentially comprise A. providing a cooked cereal dough or mass containing inulin; B. forming the cereal dough into pieces; and C. drying the cereal pieces to form the present grain based finished food products fortified with inulin.
• all or at least a portion of the inulin is topically applied to the piece prior to finish drying.
• the present invention relates to cooked cereal doughs containing defined levels of inulin or other oligo saccharides, to finished dried grain based products prepared therefrom and to methods for their preparation.
• inulin or other oligo saccharides are defined levels of inulin or other oligo saccharides, to finished dried grain based products prepared therefrom and to methods for their preparation.
• percentages are by weight and temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit, unless otherwise indicated.
• the present methods essentially comprise a first step of providing a cooked cereal composition such as a cereal dough or cereal mass containing inulin within the herein specified ranges.
• a cooked cereal dough can be prepared by blending various dry cereal ingredients together with water and cooking to gelatinize the starchy components and to develop a cooked flavor.
• the cooked material can also be mechanically worked to form a cooked cereal dough. The cooking and mechanical work can occur simultaneously or sequentially.
• the dry ingredients can also include various additives such as sugar (s), salt and mineral salts, e.g., trisodium phosphate, and starches.
• various liquid ingredients such as corn (maize) or malt syrups can be added.
• a cooked cereal mash is quite similar except that larger sized particles such as whole grains or cut grains are cooked rather than cereal flour ingredients .
• the starchy cereal component can comprise any conventionally employed starchy cereal or, synonomously, farinaceous material, for use in a ready-to-eat cereal.
• exemplary suitable starchy cereals include cereal grains, cut grains, grits or flours from wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley, rye, triticale or other cereal grains and mixtures thereof.
• the flours can be whole flours or flour fractions such as with the germ fraction or husk fraction removed or, alternatively, brans.
• the R-T-E cereal art is well developed and the skilled artisan will have no difficulty selecting suitable farinaceous materials for use herein.
• the starchy cereal component (s) can comprise from about 40 to 99% (dry basis) of the cooked cereal dough composition. Better results in terms of organoleptic attributes and reductions in R-T-E cereal piece frangibility are obtained when the cereal ingredient (s) comprises about 75 to 95% of the cooked cereal dough composition. For best results the cereal ingredients comprise about 80 to 95% of the present cereal products.
• the cooked cereal dough additionally comprises about 10 to 55% moisture. The amount of moisture depends, in part, upon the particular cereal ingredients, desired finished products, cooking equipment and techniques employed.
• the present invention provides food compositions that essentially comprise a cooked cereal dough or cereal mass containing or fortified with inulin.
• the food compositions essentially comprise about 90 to 97%, preferably about 92 to 97% of the cooked cereal dough (dry weight basis) and the balance inulin.
• Such fiber fortified cooked cereal doughs are useful for fabrication into finished dried grain based food products such as R-T-E cereals and grain based snack products.
• Inulin is well known and is a staple of commerce. Inulin is a particularly useful ⁇ -2-fructofuranose material . Generally, inulin is the clean, dried fibrous material which is separated by extraction from, for example, chicory, onions and Jerusalem artichokes and other common plant sources. Inulin is available in various commercial grade varieties. Pure inulin is commercially available from, for example, Rhone-Poulenc in the U.S. under the trade name RAFTILINE ® and from Imperial Suicker Unie, LLC in Europe. Pure inulin has an average degree of polymerization ("DP") of about 9 to 10. Less preferred for use herein are less pure inulin source materials such as a dried Jerusalem artichoke flour, deflavored onion flour and mixtures thereof.
• DP average degree of polymerization
• oligofructose materials available under the RAFTILOSE trade name from Rhone-Poulenc. Such materials are plant derived and have a DP of about 2 to 7, i.e., with fructose claims of up to about seven fructose units.
• manose can be substituted for the fructose in full or partial substitution, i .e. , oligomanans.
• other oligomers can be used with similar degrees of polymerization that are from monomers of monosaccharides selected from the group consisting of glucose, xylose, aribinose, and mixtures, thereof (i.e., DP 2-60) .
• the ⁇ -2-fructofuranose material useful herein includes oligomers and polymers thereof. Particularly useful in terms of cost and availability are inulin and fructoogliosaccharides ("FOS”) and mixtures thereof.
• FOS fructoogliosaccharides
• FOS materials are also available commercially such as from GTC Nutrition Company, Riverside, CO. FOS materials have an average degree of polymerization ("DP") ranging from about 2-4 polyfructans . Due to their lower molecular weight, the FOS materials have a greater solubility in water. FOS materials have a slight sweetness to their taste. A further advantage is that the FOS materials when topically applied form a clear, almost undetectable coating. As a result, FOS materials are especially suitable for topical application.
• DP average degree of polymerization
• inulin While in the balance of the present description the use of inulin is described, the skilled artisan will appreciate that other ⁇ -2 fructofuranose materials described above can be used in full or partial substitution for the particular inulin materials described as can be other oligosaccharides, e.g., o1igomanans .
• the present cooked cereal compositions essentially comprise about 1% to 10% by weight (dry basis), i.e., up to about 3g/oz, of added inulin.
• dry basis i.e., up to about 3g/oz
• the added inulin is present at a concentration range of from about 0.1 to 8% by dry weight of the cereal, preferably about 1 to 8%, and for best results about 5 to 8%.
• the natural inulin content of wheat can range from about 1 to 3%
• the total ⁇ -2 fructofuranose content of the finished product will be the sum of the natural or native inulin associated with the cereal constituents plus the added pure inulin or other supplemental ⁇ -2 fructofuranose material .
• An advantage of the present invention is that inulin can be used in connection with a wide variety of dried finished grain based products fabricated from cooked cereal doughs such as R-T-E cereal products. Such products can vary widely, not only in composition, but also in final physical form.
• the present invention can be used to prepare R-T-E cereals in the form of shreds, biscuits and puffs as well as the preferred flake form.
• the present inulin fortified cooked cereal doughs can find applicability for use in connection with other grain based food products such as grain based snack products.
• the inulin fortified cooked cereal doughs can be formed into suitably sized, shaped and partially dried pellets or half products. These half products are useful intermediate products. Finished grain based snack products are usually provided by the deep fat frying or other puffing of the pellets (e.g., hot air or microwave heating) of partially dried half products fabricated from cooked cereal doughs.
• half products can be produced in bulk in one location and thereafter fried in one or more finish operations to form the finished snack products. Not only are shipping costs reduced due to the reduced volume of the half products compared to the finished products but also breakage of the finished product is reduced. Also, the present invention can be used to provide pretzel snack products fortified with inulin.
• compositions can optionally include additional or supplemental sources of soluble fiber in addition to inulin.
• additional or supplemental sources of soluble fiber is to employ commercially available high methoxyl pectin. While desirable due to its cost and availability, the utilization of pectin aggravates the problems of providing organoleptically acceptable cereal products. Accordingly, when pectin is used to provide additional soluble fiber, generally lower amounts of soluble fiber are preferred.
• Other useful sources of soluble fiber include oat bran, guar gum, carboxymethylcellulose, psyllium and mixtures thereof.
• each of these supplemental soluble fiber sources can comprise from about 0.1 to 6% dry weight basis, and, preferably, when used in addition to inulin, about 1 to 5% of the present compositions, and for best results about 1 to 2%.
• non-cereal fiber sources including cellulose flour, cellulose fiber, sugar beet fiber, etc.
• Sugar beet fiber can comprise up to 80% total dietary fiber with about 20% soluble fiber and 60% insoluble fiber. If employed, sugar beet fiber can comprise about 0.1 to 5% (dry weight) of the present products.
• the present cooked cereal dough compositions and dried finished products prepared therefrom can additionally include one or more cereal bran fractions as a supplemental fiber ingredient.
• oat bran is an especially desirable optional ingredient in the present cereal compositions.
• Oat bran has a fiber fraction in addition to the high cereal or starchy fraction.
• Oat bran is a concentrated source of a soluble fiber and can comprise at least 6% soluble fiber (about 1.7g/oz) as well as at least 6% insoluble fiber (about 1.7g/oz) . Accordingly, inclusion of oat bran into the present R-T-E cereal composition simultaneously can provide the present essential starchy cereal component, a supplemental soluble fiber component, and an insoluble fiber component.
• the cereal bran ingredient can comprise about 1 to 50% (dry weight) of the cooked cereal dough.
• High fiber products will preferably contain about 25 to 40% supplemental cereal bran.
• Low fiber products can preferably contain about 1 to 15% supplemental cereal bran.
• the present cereal dough composition can additionally comprise about 0.1 to about 20% (dry weight) by weight sugar (s) or, synonomously herein, nutritive carbohydrate sweetening agents.
• sugar s
• Such materials are also well known in the R-T-E cereal art.
• Useful herein as the sugar component is sucrose.
• the sugar (s) component can additionally comprise conventional fructose, maltose, dextrose, honey, fruit juice solids, brown sugar, and the like.
• the sugar component additionally beneficially affects the cereal color and texture. Better results are obtained, especially for R-T-E cereal products, when the sugar (s) component comprises from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the composition.
• the present cereal compositions are further essentially defined in part by low fat levels, i.e., the present cereals do not comprise added or absorbed fat.
• the total fat or lipid component is quite low.
• the fat content results from the native fat associated with the starchy cereal component (s) .
• Permissible low fat additions can also result from adding emulsifiers and from vitamin or flavor addition.
• the total fat content of the cereal compositions should be less than about 3%, preferably less than about 2%.
• the R-T-E cereal is substantially free of any fat or oil incorporated into the cooked cereal dough.
• Such "added fat” is to be distinguished from "absorbed fat” that is picked up during deep fat frying used to prepare finished snack products herein.
• R-T-E cereals are further characterized as free of any absorbed fat .
• the present cereal dough composition can additionally include a variety of materials designed to improve the aesthetic, organoleptic or nutritional qualities of the cereal.
• These adjuvant materials can include vitamin and/or mineral fortification, colors, flavors, high potency sweetener (s) , and mixtures thereof.
• the precise ingredient concentration in the present cereal composition will vary in known manner. Generally, however, such materials can each comprise about 0.01% to about 2% dry weight of the cereal composition.
• One especially useful material is common salt. Desirably, the salt comprises about 0.1 to 2%, preferably about 0.5 to 1.0% of the cereal composition.
• Still another highly preferred ingredient is a malt syrup flavor ingredient.
• the malt syrup comprises about 1 to 8% (dry basis), preferably about 2 to 5%.
• Fiber is believed to adversely affect selected mineral and vitamin absorption.
• the present R-T-E cereals can be fortified with bioavailable sources of calcium, iron, riboflavin and the like. These mineral fortifiers can be incorporated into the cereal compositions directly.
• vitamin fortify the present R-T-E cereals especially selected B vitamins, e.g., riboflavin.
• Conventional methods and techniques of vitamin fortification can be used herein. Due in part to their heat sensitivity, vitamin fortification is typically practiced by topical application to the R-T-E cereal and such a technique is preferred herein.
• inulin can be subjected to, but does not require, a cooking step.
• the inulin material can be added to the dry materials that are cooked and worked to form a cooked cereal dough or can be added subsequent to the formation of a cooked cereal dough, or both.
• the present raw cereal components and other ingredients can be cooked and worked to form the present cooked cereal doughs by conventional cooked cereal dough preparation methods.
• the total moisture addition is controlled to provide a cooked cereal comprising about 10 to 60% moisture, preferably about 25 to 35% moisture.
• the cereal dough cooking step can be practiced using a batch, atmospheric cooker and a low pressure extruder cooker especially those equipped with a conditioner precooker, or a twin screw extruder.
• the cereal is cooked with steam and sufficient amounts of added water for times and at temperatures sufficient to gelatinize the cereal starch and to develop desired levels of cooked cereal flavor.
• the inulin can be added to the cereal and other dry ingredients prior to cooking.
• the inulin bearing dry blend of cereal ingredients can then be combined with water, heated to cook and gelatinize the starchy constituents and mechanically worked to form a cooked cereal dough fortified with inulin.
• the cereal ingredients are cooked in a cooker such as a single or twin screw cooker extruder to form a cooked cereal dough.
• a cooked cereal dough is prepared that does not include inulin.
• the inulin is added afterwards to the dough.
• the inulin can be added in solid form or dissolved in small or minimal amounts of water and admixed with the cooked cereal dough to form the inulin fortified dough.
• the inulin can be worked into the dough in a pellet forming device that transforms the dough into individual sized and shaped pieces.
• a portion of the inulin is added with the other dry cereal ingredients that are admixed with water, cooked and worked to form a partially fortified dough. Then, the balance of the inulin can be admixed with the dough to prepare an inulin containing dough fortified to desired levels.
• the cooked cereal dough can be puffable such as by deep fat frying, microwave heating, gun puffing, jet zone heating, etc. More easily puffed doughs can have high levels of amylopectin-type starch supplied either by selection of high amylopectin containing starchy cereal materials, or by addition of pure amylopectin starches or both.
• high amylopectin level herein is meant greater than 20% up to about 80% by weight.
• the present methods further essentially comprise the step of forming the dough into individual pieces of desirable shape and size.
• Conventional techniques and equipment can be employed to practice this step and the skilled artisan will have no difficulty in selecting those suitable for use herein.
• the present cereal compositions can be fabricated into any of a variety of common R-T-E cereal forms including, shreds, biscuits, flakes, or any common R-T-E cereal or cereal based snack product form, shape or size.
• the present cereal compositions can also be formulated and fabricated so as to provide puffed cereals of various shapes and sizes such as "O's". Especially desirable for use herein are flakes, especially toasted flakes.
• a great number of R-T-E cereals and snack products are prepared from cooked cereal doughs that are formed into pellets.
• the cooked cereal dough can be fed to a pellet former to form pellets.
• the pellets are sized to have a pellet count of about 35 to 50 per lOg and a moisture content of 16 to 20%.
• the pellets can be partially dried to moisture contents of about 18 to 20%.
• the pellets can then be formed into "wet" flakes having a thickness of about 380 to 635 ⁇ m (0.015 to 0.025 inch), preferably while warm 76.6 to 87.8°C (170 to 190 °F) to form desirably shaped and sized wet flakes.
• the dough can be sheeted to form sheets of dough (e.g., 25 to 800 microns in thickness) and the individual pieces formed by cutting the sheet into individual pieces or by stamping out shaped pieces from the dough sheet .
• the cooked cereal dough can be extruded through a die imparting a desired peripheral shape to form an extrudate cooked cereal dough rope.
• the dough rope can be cut to form individual shaped pieces .
• the cooked cereal dough can be fed to a biscuit forming device (see, for example, U.S. 5,342,188, entitled “Device For Crimping and Cutting Dough Ropes, issued August 30, 1994 to C. E. Zimmermann, which is incorporated herein by reference) which forms the dough into biscuit shaped individual pieces.
• a biscuit forming device see, for example, U.S. 5,342,188, entitled “Device For Crimping and Cutting Dough Ropes, issued August 30, 1994 to C. E. Zimmermann, which is incorporated herein by reference
• the cooked cereal dough is formed into individual "0" shaped pieces or rings, biscuits, shreds, figurines, letters, spheres or other geometric shapes, nuggets, or even irregular shapes . Drying To Form Finished Pieces
• the present methods further comprise the step of drying the shaped and sized individual pieces to form finished cereal products fortified with inulin.
• the drying step depends in important part upon the desired end product.
• the drying step can be practiced to provide a finish moisture content of about 10 to 15%.
• the desired end product is an R-T-E cereal
• drying the pellets to these moisture contents may only be an intermediate or substep prior to, for example, flaking the dried pellets to form "wet" flakes.
• These "wet" flakes can then be subjected to a finish or final drying step wherein the pieces are dried to final dried moisture contents of 1 to 4% such as by toasting.
• the dough can be extruded under conditions of temperature and pressure so as to puff and expand (the "direct expansion” technique) and sectioned or cut into individual pieces to form individual expanions puffed R-T-E cereal or snack pieces.
• the drying step can involve heating the pieces under conditions that not only dry the piece but also cause the piece to expand to form dried and puffed or flaked finished pieces.
• pellets can be gun puffed to form dried puffed R-T-E cereal products.
• the wet flakes can be toasted to dry, expand and tenderize to form finished R-T-E cereal flakes .
• the cereal pieces can optionally be provided with a topical sugar coating and subsequently dried to remove the added moisture from the sugar coating solution to form presweetened R-T-E finished cereal pieces.
• a topical sugar coating optionally with salt and/or flavors, is applied to form finished dried snack products.
• the pieces or pellets can be deep fat fried to form dried puffed fried finished cereal products fortified with inulin.
• dried puffed fried finished cereal pieces are especially desirable as fiber fortified snack products.
• Such products can absorb about 5 to 35% of frying fat during the drying and puffing step.
• inulin does not require cooking, the inulin can be added either before or after cooking.
• inulin can be admixed with other dry cereal ingredients and water which is then cooked to form a cooked cereal dough.
• the cooked cereal dough fortified with inulin so prepared is then formed into finished farinaceous products.
• one or more of the present methods ' steps can be combined and performed in or by a single piece of equipment.
• a dry mix of cereal ingredients including inulin can be admixed with water and/or steam in a cooker extruder such as a single screw or twin screw. The cooker extruder heats, cooks and works the cereal ingredients to form an inulin containing cooked cereal dough.
• the extruder conditions are such that upon extrusion, the cooked cereal dough expands and dries and is severed into small pieces to form R-T-E cereal pieces.
• the R-T-E cereal pieces can be in final form.
• the R-T-E cereal pieces can be further dried to final moisture contents, especially if a sugar coating is applied.
• the present cereal compositions can be fabricated into presweetened R-T-E cereals such as by the ' topical application of a conventional sweetener coating.
• a conventional sweetener coating Both conventional sugar coatings and coatings employing high potency sweeteners, especially aspartame and potassium acesulfame, are known and can be used to provide presweetened cereals for use herein.
• inulin herein can be topically applied to form a topical coating.
• the inulin topical application step can be combined with the provision of the finished products herein with a topical sugar or presweetening coating.
• a topical sugar or presweetening coating preferred for use herein are the FOS materials.
• FOS materials are preferred since such FOS materials impart a slightly sweet taste.
• the FOS materials are highly soluble and lend themselves readily to such topical application.
• the topical sweetening is applied in sufficient amounts such that after drying to remove added moisture associated with the sugar coating solution, the sugar coating is present in a weight ratio of sugar coating to cereal base of about 1:100 to about 50:100, preferably 10:100 to about 40:100.
• the sugar coating solution will have a blend of sugars and will comprise about 4 to 20% moisture.
• the slurry coated cereal pieces may be subjected to a final drying step to remove the added moisture from the sugar coating to provide finished dried products having a moisture content of about 1 to 5%.
• the sugar coating slurry can comprise about 1 to 40% inulin.
• the sugar coating solution is applied as one spray or stream onto the cereal base while simultaneously or concurrently applying the inulin such as in a separate aqueous solution. If added as a separate aqueous solution, then the inulin is present in that solution at its maximum solubility level so as to minimize moisture addition that must be subsequently removed by drying.
• the R-T-E cereal pieces so prepared can then be conventionally packaged for distribution and sale.
• the R-T-E cereals of the present invention can be consumed in a conventional manner to obtain the nutritional and physiological benefits of a high soluble fiber cereal food.
• a surprising advantage of the present R-T-E cereals is that the fiber is nearly "invisible,” that is, even high levels of fiber are barely organoleptically discernible in the finished product. Attributes
• the finished dried R-T-E cereal and cereal based snack products fabricated from the inulin fortified cooked cereal doughs herein are useful as fiber fortified food products.
• the finished R-T-E cereal and cereal based snack products provided herein are remarkably similar to their unfortified counterparts, notwithstanding the presence of the added inulin ingredient.
• the products are characterized by good flavor, good texture and other favorable organoleptic attributes. Notwithstanding their highly acceptable taste, appearance and texture attributes, the products are nonetheless characterized as having high levels of soluble fiber. Notwithstanding the high levels of soluble fiber, the present finished products are remarkably free of the undesirably slimy mouth feel heretofore associated with finished dried cereal products high in soluble fiber content.
• the products can be packaged and distributed in conventional form.
• the measurement of total dietary fiber, soluble fiber, and insoluble fiber is subject to disparate analytical methods and values determined thereby.
• "soluble" and “insoluble” fiber values are to be determined by an accepted test procedure for fiber developed by Prosky et al . and described in "Determination of Insoluble, Soluble and Total Dietary Fiber in Foods and Food Products," Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Vol. 71, No. 5 (1988) which is incorporated herein by reference.
• the procedure there described involves an enzymatic-gravametric procedure adopted by final action of the AOAC.
• Example 1 A ready-to-eat cereal composition of the present invention having high levels of soluble fiber is prepared according to the following procedure. A dry blend, a wet blend and a sugar coating composition were separately prepared having the respective formulations: A. Dry Base Blend
• the cooked cereal dough is allowed to cool and is pelletized in a pelletizing extruder (Ambrette Co.).
• the vitamin blend is metered into the cooled dough prior to pelleting extrusion at a rate sufficient to result in a final concentration in the cereal of 0.36%.
• the pellets are then dried in a conventional pellet dryer to a final moisture of 23 to 27%, with a target moisture of 25%.
• the dried pellets are then tempered for 45 to 60 minutes at ambient temperature in a conventional tempering belt system.
• the tempered pellets are then flaked using standard cereal flaking equipment to a thickness of about 0.018 to 0.023 inches 457 to 584 ⁇ m) .
• the wet flakes are then toasted at 204.4°C (400°F) in a cereal toaster.
• the toasted flakes are then coated with sufficient sugar slurry to produce a final product with approximately 10% added slurry.
• the final product has a soluble fiber content of 3.3g/oz and an insoluble fiber content of 3.2g/oz.
• the total fat content is less than 2%.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
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• Nutrition Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
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• Confectionery (AREA)
• Grain Derivatives (AREA)
• Polysaccharides And Polysaccharide Derivatives (AREA)
• Noodles (AREA)
• Coloring Foods And Improving Nutritive Qualities (AREA)
• Pharmaceuticals Containing Other Organic And Inorganic Compounds (AREA)
• Medicines Containing Plant Substances (AREA)

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• 1998
  • 1998-01-12 US US09/005,675 patent/US6149965A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1999
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  • 1999-01-12 AU AU23173/99A patent/AU2317399A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-01-12 DE DE69925708T patent/DE69925708T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-01-12 WO PCT/US1999/000683 patent/WO1999034688A1/en active IP Right Grant
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